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Candaba sets first Ibon-Ebon Festival

Posted on January 22, 2008

BASED on last year’s bird records and the results of the Asian Waterbird Census of this year, Candaba’s conservation effort works. At the same time, Candaba’s food production, including duck eggs, continues to grow.

The local government unit here led by Mayor Jerry Pelayo believed it is time to celebrate.

To further enhance awareness on Candaba’s twin efforts to promote ecotourism and food production, the first Ibon-Ebon festival of Candaba is slated on February 1-2, 2008.

The multi-activity festival will feature the now internationally popular birds (Ibon) of Candaba and the municipality’s growing duck-egg (Ebon) industry.

Pelayo wishes to share the festival with the various municipalities, schools and organizations since its message and intent is not only for Candaba but for the province and the rest of the country as well.

“There must be a balance between the needs of the people and those of the environment,” he said.

In their festival logo, the bird is the wild Philippine Duck, locally known as dumara, its scientific name is Anas luzonica.

It is endemic to the country and now successfully breed in the Candaba Swamp.

In the logo it also shows hugging a domestic duck (itik) egg sitting on green grass symbolizing a healthy relationship between nature conservation and food production.

Meanwhile, the feast of San Nicolas de Tolentino (St. Nicholas of Tolentino) every September 10 has been associated with the coming of the migratory tarat (Brown Shrikes) in the town.

The image of San Nicolas in Candaba with a bird on a platter on his hand is now under the care of the family of Pelayo and is honored with a procession during his feast day and the traditional giving out of San Nicolas cookies.

It was said San Nicolas is a vegetarian. Once he was served a roasted fowl, instead of eating it, he made a sign of the cross over it and it flew away.

Over 300 miracles are attributed to him. San Nicolas will be honored during the Ibon-Ebon Festival.

SunStar News Pampanga

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